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America’s Top 10 Most Interesting Food Trucks (and then some) of 2014

While we don’t know exactly which country invented the concept of a mobile food cart or truck, we can definitely agree that the modern gourmet food truck was an American invention! America’s best food trucks are the unusual and crazy ones that make themselves a monument of the town they serve in. It’s Independence Day on Friday and what better time than the week of America’s birthday to celebrate the top 10 most interesting food trucks that makes the U.S. the leading nation of this culinary phenomenon.

Established in 1920, the Good Humor Ice Cream Truck drove its way through suburban America and street food history. Equipped with the world’s first ice cream bar on a stick and original all white uniforms, Good Humor Ice Cream Trucks are still ringing their signature bell that makes everyone scream for ice cream.

A food truck dressed as a quaint purple dream home, Nu Natural Beauty brings natural skincare, bath, and beauty products on the road in Orlando, Florida. The first of its kind, the products this darling, dollhouse-looking mobile boutique sell are handmade, but not at the expense of the customers wallet.

8. Fashion Trucks

They may not serve food, but the innovation of the fashion truck landed them on our list! In particular, Blvd Love, one of Los Angeles’ earliest fashion trucks, converted an old short bus into a fully functioning mobile boutique. While this fashion truck has since retired, others have followed in its footsteps, sparking America’s newest shopping trend.

Tied for seventh place are two inimitable pizza serving food trucks. Pizzetta caters organic, vegan, and/or gluten free pizza to parties of 30-300 in an eco-friendly refurbished fire truck. Outfitted with a photo booth, a sound system, a TV to watch the chef cook, water canons for a hot day, on-board beer taps, and much more, Pizzetta is the ultimate party food truck of Southern California.

While Pizzetta’s modern features are distinctly unique, the Pizza Trolley’s charming authenticity couldn’t be forgotten on this list. Reminiscent of San Francisco’s old-world transportation, the Pizza Trolley in Florida dishes up a wide assortment of pizza, from the classic Margherita to the unusual Nutella and Mascarpone dessert pizza.

This food truck isn’t so much a truck as it is a snow mobile! The one-of-a-kind Roving Mammoth is a snow cat that delivers hand warmers you can eat to the slopes of Mammoth Mountain in California. Parked in a different location everyday, skiers can conveniently purchase burritos and calzones without having to go all the way to the lodge.

Maximus Minimus is an attention-grabbing pig-shaped food truck in Seattle, Washington. With an assortment of sandwiches, two signature sauces (Maximus and Minimus), slaw, and Seattle’s famous Beecher’s mac ‘n’ cheese, this pig is serving up plenty of good eats for the rainy city. Some pig, indeed!

A food truck that’s out of this world, the Space Shuttle Café of Santa Barbara, California is a novelty that holds a lot of history. This food truck wasn’t originally a truck at all, but instead a 1944 Douglas DC-3 airliner that was used during WWII. Equipped with a full-service kitchen, this spacecraft is ready to serve astronauts and space fans alike with their favorite meal.

Another pioneering spin on the food truck that we love is the gaming truck. A 28ft trailer renovated to be the supreme video game hauler with consoles hooked up to eight 47” TVs and all of the best games, Chicago’s Windy City Game Theater Truck is every gamer’s dream.

2. Angry Friar

Originally a 1961 London Transport Routemaster, The Angry Friar dishes up a little bit of London for all of Denton, Texas in this mobile restaurant food truck, where the kitchen is on the bottom and seating is on the top. With images of the Beatles on Abbey Road and serving fish and chips, this double-decker bus brings British street food and culture to America.

Our number one choice for the most interesting food truck in America is this tractor-trailer-food truck hybrid that can eat other food trucks for breakfast, lunch, dinner … and also the occasional late night snack. Within the walls of this Transformers-looking mobile kitchen contains a full-size professional refrigerator, oven, and space for storage and extra staff. This Los Angeles food truck is truly a chef’s dream kitchen on wheels.

Have your own unique food truck concept that you want to make happen? Send us a note and we will try and help!

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Update: Originally number nine was Lora’s Lasagna House, but we were informed that it had been transformed into Nu Natural Beauty.